Pedro Amador, a Portuguese defender, has joined Atlanta United on a free transfer with an option to stay until the 2026 MLS season. Amador, who was most recently a player for Moreirense in the Primeira Liga of Portugal, will be added to the international roster after his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC) are received. On July 18, when the MLS Secondary Transfer Window begins, he will be qualified to play.
“We’re excited to sign Pedro as he will bring leadership and experience to our backline as we continue to strengthen our roster this summer,” Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “At 25 years old, he’s coming at a good age from a strong league in Europe and we like his experience of playing more than 100 matches in Portugal, including captaining his team in various matches last season. We look forward to welcoming him to Atlanta and having him join our group.”
After 114 professional games in Portugal’s first and second divisions with Moreirense and SC Braga, the 25-year-old left back now plays for Atlanta. In all competitions, he has two goals and nine assists.
Before joining 1° Dezembro in July 2017, Amador had time in the junior systems of Portuguese teams Sacavenense and Belenenses. He started his youth career at Sporting CP in 2011. After moving to SC Braga B in January 2018, he played his first professional match in Portugal’s second division on March 31, 2018, against Varzim SC. He made seven appearances in the 2017–18 season, all of which were starts, and eighteen appearances in the 2018–19 season, in which he scored his first goal on January 19, 2019. The next season, he became a member of Braga’s First Team, making nine appearances in the first division, starting seven of them.
After moving to Moreirense in August 2020, the defender spent four seasons with the team, making 80 appearances across all competitions. In Portugal’s first division in the 2023–24 campaign, Amador recorded career highs in appearances (21) and starts (14) while also contributing one assist to Moreirense’s sixth-place finish in the league.
